04 Dec Development of digital printing with product personalisation

Personalisation techniques are well-known in marketing. The Mars company launched the United States’ biggest marketing campaign 15 years ago when they introduced their famous chocolate sweets, M&M’s. This campaign was the first example of sophisticated printing and was a resounding consumer success. Since then we have seen printing on textiles, on cars, and so on. The last several years the trend has become more and more marked.

Technology growth favours large brands who have the opportunity to differentiate their products and to win over more and more consumers

Evian, Coca-Cola, Oreo, Nutella… Companies offer more and more personalisation with their products. This marketing technique pampers consumers who feel that they possess a unique product.

Customers of the famous soft-drink brand can choose an original packaging by its colour or by the inscription of their first name. Italy’s Ferrero company has also given its customers the choice of emblazoning the well-known jar of chocolate spread with a personalised packaging. What’s more, the customer will not only have the pleasure of the chocolate spread, but also the choice of surprising a friend with a jar inscribed with his/her name on the white paper. The friend will obviously feel privileged by this personalised familiar object. In the case of the famous brand of biscuits, the customer has the possibility of colouring the packaging or even choosing between different designs. At a time when colouring is becoming trendy for adults, this 10 dollar privilege is a big hit on the other side of the Atlantic.

The generation Y, born at the end of the 70’s, being more susceptible emotionally than economically, has been clearly affected by personalised digital printing. In the US one person in five would like to have a personalised product and one in four in Asia.

At a time when the number of medias skyrocket, personalisation is a new boon for consumer expectations.

Consumers express themselves, give their opinions on the products and demand a special relationship with the company. On the other hand, the company registers all this information attentively, and can reutilise it during the next campaign.

Technological progress enables the growth of digital printing thanks to the change brought on by personalised packaging; and it’s only the beginning. The costs and the speed of production are also expected to evolve. Digital devices benefit the product, and innovation benefits marketing.

One of the new growth sectors for digital printing will be 3D printing

Certain brands, such as Barilla, organise promotional contests where the winner can create their own pasta model using 3D printing production. The BMW brand has also launched a publicity campaign for children, who can use this new printing technology to design their own cars, and by so doing transform their dreams into reality. Digital printing has a long and bright future!